Fuel filler cap and flap won’t lock

Jul 12, 2022
3
0
I feel like I’m going mad and I just need someone to confirm that I’m not.

Does the fuel filler flap (fuel door) on your Ibiza lock when the central locking is active? And/or does the fuel cap?

That’s all I need to know; full version below:

I bought an Ibiza (FR, 1.2 TSI, 2016 manufacture) last year. Love the car. Joy to drive. Two weeks ago, a friend noticed that the fuel filler flap wasn’t closed properly and he nudged it closed. Not long after, I noticed it open again, so I closed it again. And again. I also noticed that it didn’t matter whether the car was locked or unlocked, you can just open the flap and the cap either way. This was a problem, so I brought my service forward a month and asked them to look at that specifically.

The garage (Seat main dealer) today said that they noticed nothing unusual. The girl on the Services desk asked me to “monitor it” and isn’t even sure that they’re supposed to lock. That really doesn’t seem right to me, and I have a strong sense in my head that, firstly, it is supposed to lock, and secondly that they’re idiots.

Am I imagining things? Is my life up until now just a lie? Having to manually lock the cap with the actual key isn’t something I ever did before today, either on this car or my old Mk IV Polo. Will a mechanic look at me like I have three heads if I ask him to fix this, or is it something I can fix myself, or am I just mad?

Thanks in advance.
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
I've only ever had Polos, well except when I looked after my daughter's late 2009 Ibiza SC, so, I'd think if the fuel filler cap has a key barrel, then the flap is the non locking type - that late 2009 Ibiza was like that.
 

Seriously?

Active Member
Apr 20, 2018
1,237
831
On the 2014 Ibiza ST we had a few years ago, the fuel flap didn't lock with the central locking; the fuel cap itself was locked & unlocked with the ignition key.
But the fuel flap should 'latch' shut and stay shut until you manually open it. If yours opens by itself it suggests that 'latching' mechanism is faulty.
 
Jul 12, 2022
3
0
It could be that I just never tried to open the flap unless getting petrol before and now I've imposed the memory backwards; but I'm certain that the cap at least should lock with the central locking. I vividly remember once being confused that the cap wouldn't unscrew on my old Polo, until eventually I realised it was because I'd locked the car. Surely the Ibiza should be the same. I'll look into getting that sorted because I don't want to have to use the key every single time I get petrol. Thank ye!
 

SRGTD

Active Member
May 26, 2014
2,388
1,279
It could be that I just never tried to open the flap unless getting petrol before and now I've imposed the memory backwards; but I'm certain that the cap at least should lock with the central locking. I vividly remember once being confused that the cap wouldn't unscrew on my old Polo, until eventually I realised it was because I'd locked the car. Surely the Ibiza should be the same. I'll look into getting that sorted because I don't want to have to use the key every single time I get petrol. Thank ye!
On my previous car - a 2016 VW Polo - the fuel filler flap would lock and unlock with the car’s central locking. The actual fuel cap behind the filler flap didn’t lock with a key; it was a screw in cap that twisted anti-clockwise to remove it and clockwise to secure it back in place.

I’d expect a 2016 Ibiza to be the same, but maybe not? I never had any issues with the fuel filler flap opening by itself. With the car unlocked, it needed a gentle push to release the latch mechanism and a similar gentle push when closing it for the latch mechanism to re-engage. If the car was locked, the fuel filler flap remained locked. My current VW works in the same way.
 

Seriously?

Active Member
Apr 20, 2018
1,237
831
It could be that I just never tried to open the flap unless getting petrol before and now I've imposed the memory backwards; but I'm certain that the cap at least should lock with the central locking. I vividly remember once being confused that the cap wouldn't unscrew on my old Polo, until eventually I realised it was because I'd locked the car. Surely the Ibiza should be the same. I'll look into getting that sorted because I don't want to have to use the key every single time I get petrol. Thank ye!
I've never met a petrol cap that locked with the central locking :unsure: There are generally 2 systems: the cap locks with the ignition key or the fuel flap locks with the central locking ( or separately with a dashboard switch ) in which case the cap itself doesn't lock but just unscrews by hand.
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
On my previous car - a 2016 VW Polo - the fuel filler flap would lock and unlock with the car’s central locking. The actual fuel cap behind the filler flap didn’t lock with a key; it was a screw in cap that twisted anti-clockwise to remove it and clockwise to secure it back in place.

I’d expect a 2016 Ibiza to be the same, but maybe not? I never had any issues with the fuel filler flap opening by itself. With the car unlocked, it needed a gentle push to release the latch mechanism and a similar gentle push when closing it for the latch mechanism to re-engage. If the car was locked, the fuel filler flap remained locked. My current VW works in the same way.
Well such are the differences between the VW group marques, a similar variance is "Audi and VW have bonnet release on the RHS in RHD cars".
 
Jul 12, 2022
3
0
On my previous car - a 2016 VW Polo - the fuel filler flap would lock and unlock with the car’s central locking. The actual fuel cap behind the filler flap didn’t lock with a key; it was a screw in cap that twisted anti-clockwise to remove it and clockwise to secure it back in place.

I’d expect a 2016 Ibiza to be the same, but maybe not? I never had any issues with the fuel filler flap opening by itself. With the car unlocked, it needed a gentle push to release the latch mechanism and a similar gentle push when closing it for the latch mechanism to re-engage. If the car was locked, the fuel filler flap remained locked. My current VW works in the same way.
This sounds exactly right. It’s probably the latching mechanism that’s gone. Thank you!

I've never met a petrol cap that locked with the central locking :unsure: There are generally 2 systems: the cap locks with the ignition key or the fuel flap locks with the central locking ( or separately with a dashboard switch ) in which case the cap itself doesn't lock but just unscrews by hand.

Sometimes my vivid memories are wrong. 😅
 
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